Tufting method and machine



Nav. 12, 1957 F. A. RICHARDS TUF'rmGMETHouAND MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 41min .my 2z, 195s IN VEN TOR. FPA/Vl( ,4. QIC/#AMS ATTORNEY Nov. l2, 1957 F. A. lcHARDs 2,812,734

TUF'rINc mon AND MACHINE Filed July22. 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Flo INVENToR. FRANK A- @cf/A205 BY /rwmLJ/flu/d ATTORNE.

Nov. 12, 1957 F. A. RICHARDS TUFTING METHOD AND MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 22, 1955 d Flo. |o.

INVENToR. FRANK A. xz/c//Agos BY ATTORNl-LY United States Patent O TUFTING METHOD AND MACHINE Frank A. Richards, Hollis, N. Y., assgnor to Ideal Toy Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application any 2z, 195s, serial No. 523,837

4 Claims. (Cl. 112-79.5)

My invention relates to a new and improved method of iixing looped tufts to a work-piece, and to a new and improved machine for this purpose.

As one example, the work-piece may be a hollow dollhead, which is made of resilient material, which can be easily penertated by a well-known type of sewing needle, used in a well-known type of chain-stitch sewing machine. This doll-head may be made of rubber, a vinyl plastic or resin, or other well-known materials. When a small hole is made in the doll-head by the needle, and the needlethrea-d is passed by the needle through said hole, said hole contracts by the resilience of the rubber or other resilient material to firmly grip the needle-thread at the edge of the hole.

The sewing machine may be of a well-known type known as Puritan Sewing Mach., made by Puritan Mfg. Co., Boston, Mass. Y

This well-known sewing machine uses a single needlethread and forms the usual chain stitch, whose loops are enchained at the inner face of the doll-head. In this wellknown sewing machine, the work-piece is supported on a fixed work-support, and the needle is passed upwardly through the doll-head or other work-piece in an upward, vertical penetrating stroke, without engaging the needlethread. During said penetrating stroke and at the end thereof, the needle is in vertical position.

During said penetrating stroke, an automatically operated presser-foot is in its lower clamping position and holds the work-piece stationary in the work-support.

When the needle is moved downwardly in its return stroke, to a position below the work-support, the presserfoot is automatically raised prior to the beginning of the return stroke, and the needle is also automatically rocked in a selected direction, while the needle extends through the work-piece, so that the work-piece is automatically shifted in unison with the rocking needle, in the direction of feed. For this purpose, the needle extends through a guide which is lixed to a rock-frame, which is automatically rocked. The needle is in its extreme rocked position at the end of its return stroke and the new loop is engaged on the top-part of the needle. The frame is then rocked reversely to its initial position while the needle is below the work-support, while the automatically depressed presser-foot clamps the work-piece. When the rock-frame is reversely rocked to its initial position, the needle is restored to its initial vertical position and it is again operated as previously described, thus forming a new loop of the needle-thread at the inner face of the work-piece, and drawing said new loop through the previously formed old loop of the needle thread to form the usual chain-stitch.

According to this invention, I provide a horizontal dise which is revoluble about a vertical axis. This disc is revolved continuously, at constant selected angular velocity. The disc may be revolved by any drive means, which may be the main shaft of the well-known sewing machine.

This disc is located above the work-support and below the thread-guide for the needle-thread. The edge of this f 2,812,734 Patented Nov. l2, 1957 ICC disc has circumferential slots or other clearances, to permit the point of the needle and the upper part of the shank of the needle to remain clear of the edge` of saiddisc, while the sewing machine is operated in the usual way. This disc also has notches which are directed inwardly towards the center of the disc.

At the time that the needle is moved upwardly in its piercing stroke, the needle-thread extends through. a respective notch which is anterior the vertical penetrating path of the needle, in the direction of revolution of the disc, and the thread guide is located rearwardly of said respective notch, and the needle-thread extends from said thread-guidethrough said notch, in slidable engagement with the rear wall of said notch, and from `said notch to and through the last-formed hole in the doll-head, in which two legs of the needle-thread are firmly gripped by the edge of said last-formed hold. Hence, while the sewing machine is operated to operate the needle in the usual manner, the revolving disc draws the single-needle thread through the thread-guide from the spool or reel of needlethread, to form a bight of gradually increasing length of the needle thread between said rear wall of the respective thread-engaging notch and the last-formed hole. The loop of this bight is advanced by the revolving disc to a cutting station which is in circumferential registration with said notcher. Said cutting station has a cutting wheel which which is operated frictionally by the disc.

By successively forming these elongated bights of the needle-thread by the revolving disc and cutting the loops of these elongated bights, I form a series of tufts of the needle-thread, which provide a wig for the doll-head.

Each tutt consists of two legs of the needle-thread, which are joined to form an integral loop at the inner face of the doll-head and these loops are enchained at the inner face of the doll-head to form the usual chain stitch. The tips of these legs of the tuft represent points of the needle-thread which are at the cut end of the respective bight of the needle-thread which is formed by the disc.

Of course, it has been known for several hundred years to form tufts in carpets, rugs, and other Work-pieces by sewing tutt-yarns thereto by means of chain-stitches and other stitches, using supplemental needles, so that` the novelty herein is solely to form elongated disc-bights of the needle-thread by a turnable disc and to cut said discbights at their loop-ends by a revolving cutting wheel whose cutting surface abuts the top planar edge of the disc, aslater described. This invention makes it unnecessary to pre-cut the thread into selected lengths, as described in Hall U. S. Patent No. 2,686,305, dated August l0, 1954.

It is unnecessary to describethe automatic mechanism of the well-known sewing machine. The parts can be operated by hand, so that a method is disclosed herein.

The invention is further explained in the following description and annexed drawings, which disclose a pre` ferred embodiment of the attachment, as supplied to` said old chain-stitch sewing machine.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved machine.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation, at the left end of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section, on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section which shows the needle at the top of its piercing stroke.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section which shows the needle below the top of its piercing stroke and above the bottom position of the needle. It also shows the needle in its inclined or rocked position.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section which shows the needleV top of its piercing stroke and it shows the needle thread engaged by the notch which is anterior the circumferential slot which then is in vertical registration with the needle.. c

Fig. 9 is, a perspective detail view, which corresponds t0.V Fig., 7. It shows how the revolution of thev disc from itsY position of Fig. 8, to its position of Fig. 9, has pulled needle thread out of the needle guidein the form of a bi'ght which is at the cutting station.

Fig. 10 is a detail view, in which the complete disc is shown int top' plan view. The illustrated parts are shown intheir positions of Fig. 5.

Fig. ll is a detail top plan View, which` corresponds. generally to Fig. 7 and Fig. 9.

l?`igkl2` is a detail view, partly in, section, whichv shows. wigftufts, and their inner enchained looped ends;

The essential. parts of the standard sewing machine which. are necessary to explain this invention, arev shownv in the. drawings..

PARTSLOF STANDARD SEWING MACHINE The hollow casing 10 has a hollow longitudinal arm 1I. A work-support 37 is, fixed to the base of casing 1,0 by a bracket 37a. This work-support 37 has a needleslotv 40. The needle 22 has a top wedge-shaped point 23;,whi'cli has a hook-shape at its base, at the shank of needle 22. VThe presser-foot 38 is U-shaped.. It has a vertical. arm, a top' horizontal arm 38a anda bottom, horizontal clamping arm 381), which has a needle-slot 4L This presser-foot 38 is supported movably from arm 11, so. that presser-foot 38 can be raised to release. position, and can be lowered to clampthe work 39-against work.- s1`1p`port37.V Tliework or Work-piece 39 may be the scalp part of' a doll'-head which is made of latex rubber or a'suitable plastic or resin which is resilient and easily penetrated by the needle-point 23 in the upward piercing stroke of needle 22. The cylindrical shank ofi needle 22. is. fixed to a cylindrical needle-rod 17.

At its4 lower end, said needle-rod 17 is connected by a pivot 16to aV link 15, which is connected by a pivot 14to an arm-13 which is fixed to a rock-shaft 12. This rock-shaft 12'. is oscillated in the usual manner fromthe mainshaft. of the sewing machine, in order to oscillate the rock-arm 13.between its full-line andbroken-line: positions of Fig. 3. y

The lower.v fullline position of arm 13 in Fig. 3 corresponds. to the bottomposition of needle 22. Theupper broken-line positionof arm 13 in Fig. 3 correspondstoy the toppositionof needle 22, namely, at. the. top of the piercing. stroke of needleA 22.

A bracket 19 is fixed to the rock-bar 21, which is oscillafed inithe-usual manner around an axis which is perpen'dicular to the plane of Fig. 3.

Saidfbracket19 is oscillated between a normalor initial position inV which the needle is vertical, and a rocked positionin which the needle is in its inclined' position. The. arrow 68 in Fig; 3 indicates one direction of the rocking. movement of frame 19.

Said bracket 19 extends upwardly through an opening 18 which is provided in the base-part of. the hollow casingg10.

Bushings 20 and 30 are fixed to the top bar of bracket 1:9, which has` the shape of a rectangular frame. These bushings 20 and 30 havecylindrical bo-res.

A.Sleeve 31 has an extension 32, which is fixed-toA a cylindrical rod 29, which ts slidably in the cylindrical borel of bushing. 30. At its lower end, said` rod 2-9 is connected by a pivot 28 to a link 27, which is connected by apivot 26 to an arm 25, which is ixed to arock-shaft 24. Said rock-shaft 24 is oscillated inthe usual manner from` thev main shaftof the sewing machine, to oscillate 'the .rockarm 25 between its lower full-line position and its upper broken-line position of Fig. 3. The full-line and,broken-linepositions of arm 25 correspond to; the full-lineand broken-line positions of arm 13.

The cylindrical needle-rod 17 iits slidably in the cylindrical bore of bushing 2i? and in a cylindrical bore of sleeve 31. Said sleeve 31 has a rectangular recess 33 at its upper end. Said recess 33 has planar upstanding and parallel walls, which are perpendicular to the plane of Fig. 3.

Needle-guides 34 and 35 are fixed to said opstanding and parallel walls of recess. 33.

Said needle-guides 34 and 35 have extensions 34a and 35u; which have tips. 34h, 3511. rlhev tip 34b is above tip 35b.

The adjacent faces of said extensions 34a and 35a have half-cylindrical bores,.to provide a cylindrical guide-sleeve in which the cylindrical shank of needle 22 ts slidably.

The needlethiead or yarn 65 is led from a suitable spool or reel through a thread-guide 42, which has an eye 45. Said thread 65 is maintained under suitable tension in the conventional manner.

Asy shown in- Fig.V l, the thread-guide 42 is connected to an arm 43, which is movably or adjustably connectedtov arm 11s0 that the thread-guide 42/ can be shifted backandforth,4 as indicated by the double-pointed arrow 44. inlig.4 l. The arm 43 may be pivo-ted to arm 11.

Fig.. l shows, a` hollow doll-head in broken lines, and shows'that the work-support 37 and its bracket 37a and the, associated parts can extend upwardly through the neck opening of said hollow doll-head 39.

Without the cutting attachment, this standard machine forms a. standard` and continuous chain stitch which hasA enehained loops 64- at the inner face of the work 39.

'PHE t CUTTING ATTACHIVIENT A horizontal' disc 46 is turnable aboutV a vertical axis. This, disc 46v extends between the horizontal legs 38a and 38h of the presser foot 38, in both the upper and lower positions of said presser-foot 3S.

In Fig. 3, itis assumed that the observer is in front of: the edge of disc 46, so that the motion of said edge is fromright to left.

As shown in Fig. 2, the hollow arm 11 has a hollow extension; 47, which has a vertical and annular ilange 48. A conventional drive, such as a conventional worm-drive orz other speed-reducing drive, is located in a hollow casing 49, whose annular ange 50 is xed to flange 48 by any conventional means. The worm-drive is not illustrated, since: it is` weh-known. This worm-drive has an inputshaft 52 which is continuously revolved in the same dire'ctionby. the continuously revolving main shaft of. the, sewingmachine. The connecting driving means between said main-shaft and the input shaft 52, are located ina casing. 53, which is fixed to the arm 11, in whichsaidf longitudinal main-shaft of the sewing machine; is located in the. usual manner.

Said'. discy i6-has a vertical hollow hub Si, which' is Xed to the output shaft of the worm-drive which is provided` in easing 49, sothat disc 46 is continuouslyrevolvedA in-a single direction, at regulated and constant angular velocity.

In this embodiment, thel disc t6-has tive circumferential slotsA 55a, SSb, 55e,v 55d, 55e. For convenience, these five slots are respectivelyv designated as the iirst' slot, second. slot, third slot, fourth slot and lifth slot.

Each-saidcircumferential slot has outer and inner arcuate walls. which are. concentric with the vertical axis of disc 462 Atits-rear end, eachV said circumferential slot has an inward extension or notch, namely, the notches 56a, 56b, 56's, 56d,- Se. The notch Sti-.fz is designated as the rst notch,the notch SGb isdesignated at the second notch, etc

Each; said no-tch has parallel and planar walls, which form,I acuate angles with the respective radii of disc. 46 to the respective rear ends of the circumferential notches S'SaSSe.4

As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. l0,` the worm-drive casing 49 has an upstanding extension 57. As shown in Fig. 10, a radial arm 58 is fixed at one end to extension 57. As shown in Fig. 1, the other end of arm 58 has a depending vertical leg 58a, to which a clamp 59 is xed releasably and adjustably. This clamp 59 grips and supports a vertical stud-shaft or rod 60, in which a compression coil spring 62 is mounted. As shown in Figs. l and 10, said stud-shaft or rod 6i) extends into the hollow hub-extension 6in of a cutting wheel 61, which has a frusto-conical vertical shape, and which has a bottom planar and circular cutting edge. Said cutting wheel 61 is vertically movable and also rotatable relative to its stud-shaft or rod 60.

The planar and circular cutting edge of wheel 61 frictionally abuts the top planar face of disc 46.

As shown in Figs. l and 11, the cutting wheel 61 is positioned anterior the sewing station which is provided at the needle 22.

This cutting station is located inwardly of the circumferential slots and it is located intermediate the outer and inner ends of the inward notches, in circumferential registration with said notches.

The sharp bottom circular cutting edge of wheel 61 bears frictionally against the top planar face of disc 46 by the action of the compression spring 62, so that the rotating disc 46 rotates the cutting wheel around the vertical axis of the stud-shaft 60. As Viewed in Figs. 10 and 1l, the cutting wheel 61 is rotated in the clockwise direction, so that its outer periphery, which is adjacent the circumferential slots 55u- 55s, is turned in the direction of arrow 54.

OPERATION OF THE SEWING MACHINE AND ITS CUTTING ATTACHMENT As viewed at the center of disc 46 in Fig. 10, the edge or disc 46 has an apparent linear movement from left to right. As viewed from a point external to the edge of disc 46, said edge has an apparent linear movement from right to left.

As viewed in Fig. 3, the apparent linear movement of the edge of disc 46, with reference to the plane of Fig. 3, is from right to left because the viewing station is eX- ternal to the edge of disc 46. In Figs. 5, 6 and 7, the apparentdirection of linear movement of the edge of disc 156 is from left to right, because the viewing station is at the axis ot disc 46. In each of Figs. 3, 5, 6 and 7 the disc 46 is turned clockwise, as viewed at the top of disc 56, and as indicated by arrow 54 in Figs. 8, 9, l0, 11.

Fig. 3 shows the positions of the parts at the beginning of a cycle.

Two holes 66 have previously been pierced in head 39, and the previously-formed loops of needle-thread have been out at the cutting station to provide tutt-strands 67. A new hole 66.11 is pierced in this cycle.

The needle 22 is in its bottom position in Fig. 3. Said needle 22 now extends through and above the last-formed loop 64 of the needle thread 65. The needle 22 vertically registers with the anterior or front end of the rst circumferential slot 55a. The needle-thread 65 now extends, under usual tension, through the second notch 56h, which is anterior and directly adjacent the front end of the iirst circumferential notch 55a. The bight of the needle thread 65 is slidahly engaged at the rear wall of said second notch S612. The needle thread 65 extends through said second notch 56h, through the last-formed hole 66; thus forming a thread-part which has a top leg B and a bottom leg A.

'the resilient material of head 39 grips the needlethread 65 at the last-formed hole 66, so that the needle thread 65 is held taut between the second notch 56b and the last-formed hole 66, in the general position shown in Fig. S. t

Atthis time, the rock-frame 19 isin its normal or initial full-line position of Fig. 3; and arms 13 and 25 are in their initial full-line positions of Fig. 3, and needle 22 is vertical. The parts of the sewing machine are operated in the usual manner.

First period The rock-frame 19 is maintained in its initial, full-line position of Fig. 3. The rock-arm 25 is maintained in its initial full-line position of Fig. 3, so that sleeve 31 remains in its lower position of Fig. 3. The presser-foot 38 is maintained in its lower clamping position. The arm 13 is turned from its initial full-line position of Fig. 3 to its upper broken-line position of Fig. 3.

The needle 22 is thus raised relative to sleeve 31 and its guides 34a and 35a in its piercing stroke, in the direction of the vertical arrow 63, while needle 22 is kept in vertical position, to pass the needle-head 23 successively through slot liti, the work-piece 39, slot 41, and through the rst circumferential slot 55a at its front or anterior end. During this period, the needle-head 23 slips past the part B of needle-thread 65 which is intermediate the eye 45 of needle guide 42 and the second notch 5612. The continuous revolution of the disc 46 advances the second notch 56h towards the cutting station at cutting wheel 61, thus pulling needle-thread 65 through eye 45, and elongating the part A-B of thread 65, while part A remains fixed to head 39 and keeping said part A B under tension. At the end of this period, the needle 23 is in the position of Fig. 5.

At the end of this period, the presser-bar 38 is raised to its release position of Fig. 5.

Second period During this second period, the needle-head. 23 is moved from its position of Fig. 5, to its position of Fig. 6.

During this second period, the continuous revolution of disc 416 additionally advances the second notch 56h towards the cutting station at cutting wheel 61, so that the elongation ot the thread-part AB is continued.

As above noted, the presser-foot 38 is kept in its raised, non-clamping position of Fig. 5 during this period.

During this period, the arm 25 is also turned from its lower full-line position of Fig. 3 to its upper broken-line position of Fig. 3, and the frame 19 is also rocked in the direction of arrow 63 of Fig. 5, from its initial full-line position of Fig. 3 to its rocked broken-line position of Fig. 3. The needle 22 and the sleeve 31 are rocked in unison with the frame i9, in the direction of arrow 68 and the head 39 is shifted in unison with the needle 22, in the direction of arrow 69 of Fig. 5. Fig. 6 shows the top position of sleeve 3i and of its guides 34a and 35a at the end of this period, and it also shows the rocked positions of sleeve 31 and needle 22 at the end of this period. The arrows 76 and 71 are parallel to the axis of the cylindrical shankof needle 22 in Fig. 6.

At the end of this period the presser-foot 38 is lowered to clamping position.

When the presser-foot 3S is thus lowered at the end of this period, the needle-head 23 is in slot 41, above the work-piece or head 39.

During this period, the needle-head 23 engages the needle-thread 65 and pulls it from the spool or reel or other source or" thread 65, through the eye 45.

Third period cated by arrow 73, in Fig. 7. A new loop 64a 0f theV vneedle-thread 65 `is thusenchained with the previouslyformedloop 64 of said needle-thread 64a, according. toV said?A standardtoperationt At about the end of this period, the seconch notch 56.5 is at the cutting station and the tutt forming bight 7M- 7de is cut by wheel 6l, to form two tutt-threads 67 of the wig. At the end of this period, the rst notch 56- is close to vertical registry with needle 22.

It is clear that the same work can be performed by afdisc which merely has the notches 56u, 56h, 56C, 56d, 56e, and which is merely recessed at the arcs of the circumferential slots 55a, 55h, 55C, 55d, 55e.

The circumferential slots 5551-55@ mer-ely provide clearances for the movement of the needle.

Thus, the disc d6 could have recesses which extend to the inner arcuate faces of the circumferential slots, thus omitting the outer walls of said discs at the arcuate slots THE METHOD OF OPERATl-JN For convenience, it is assumed that the hole marlted 66 in Fig. 8 is the iirst hole which has been pierced in head 39, and that the hole 66a shown in 3 is the second hole.

After the needle ZZ been moved below the first hole 66, the thread 65 has a rst big'nt which has two legs which extend through hole 66 to a first inner loop-end 64 of. said first bight. legs are gripped and held lixed to head 39 at the edge of rst hole 66 by the resilient material of head 39, which contracts each hole after needle 22 has passed out of said hole. @ne leg of said rst bight provides a strand 67 of a respective tutt T. The second leg of said first bight extends upwardly and forwardly in a thread-part A to and through the respective notch 56h, and then rearwardly and horizontally in a thread-part B to andV through the eye 45 E guide ft2, and then upwardly and rearwardly to the spool or reel ci' otL sr tree threadr 65. The thread 65 is taut and under sion between its source up to the point where it is gripped at the respective hole. The inner end of notch 56 is in sliding engagement with said second leg of said first eight.

The disc 46 is continuously revolved forwardly in the direction of arrow 54, thus pulling the thread 65 under tension from the thread-source through the eye 45, and elongating thread-part A under tension between hole 66 and notch 56b, and also elongating the thread-part B under tension between notch 56h and eye 45.

The head 39 is held fixed to work support 37, while needle ZZ is moved upwardly through the first loop-end 64V of said rst bight, to the position shown in Fig. 5, to pierce the second hole 66u. The head 39 is unclamped from' support 37 after said second hole 66a has been pierced, and the needle 7.2 is moved downwardly from its position of Fig. successively to the positions of Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 and Fig. 3. When needle 22 has been moved back to its position of Fig. 3, the notch 56a of the slot or clearance 55a has the position of notch 56b in Fig. 8, and the slot or clearance 55e has the position of slot 55a in Fig. 8.

This second downward stroke of needle Z2 provides a second bight of the thread 65, and the two legs of said second bight are gripped and held fixed to head 39 at the edge of the second hole 66a, and the rst loop-end 64is passed, as drawn in Fig. 7, through the second loopend 64a ofthe second bight.

The second downward strol-:e of needle 22 provides a tutt-forming bight Mrz-7d, which has a closed end at notch 56h.

The lower leg 74 of said tutt-forming bight is an elongation ofthe thread-part A of the first bight. Said leg 74 is gripped and held fixed to head 39 at the edge of the rst hole 66. The upper leg 74a of said tutt-forming bight is gripped and fixed to head 39 at the edge of the second hole 66a. Said upper leg 74a is an elongation ofthe thread-part B.

The thread 65 is stretchable and it may be elastic. Thusas one example, the thread 65`may be a vinylresixrv S or plastic, such as Saran,' which' isa thermoplastic resin produced by the polymerization of vinylidene chloride (CH2=C1i-).` alone or with other monomers and other ingredients. This.' Saran filament is a well-known article of commerce and itis describedA in ThefNew Fibers by Sherman & Sherman, published in 1946 by D. Van Nostrand Company, Inc; It is stretchable and elastic.

Whenfthe-le'g 74uv is thus xed to head 39 at the edge of the second. holev 66a, the closed end of the tutt-forming loop 74a74 is close to the cutting station, and said loop-forming` tuft is then slightly extended by the revolution of disc 46 to bring its closed end at notch 56h to the cutting wheel, thus cutting said closed end at notch 56b, so that the severed legs 74a and 74 form two additional strands 67 of a respective tuft T.

When. this cutting operation has been completed, the slot or clearancev 55e has the position of the slot or clearance 55a in Fig. 8, and the notch 56a has the position of notch 56h in Fig. 8. Also, the thread 65 now has thread-parts AA. and BB,v which correspond respectively to the thread-parts A and B of Fig. 8..

By repeating said operations, a series of respective tufts T are provided. Each tuft T is a bight or loop of the thread 65. Each tuftThas two external strands 67. The inner loop-ends L of said finished tufts T are enchained as shown in Fig. I2.

It is clear that these operations may be performed by handl or by othermachines, so that a method is disclosed herein.

The` rotary cutting operation under pressure, between two surfaces which are revolved in the same direction and at the same linear velocity around respective vertical axes, provides a very efficient cutting action.

I have described a preferred embodiment of the method and machine, but numerous changes, omissions, additions and substitutions can be made without departing from the invention, which is further disclosed and defined inthe appended claims.

It will be Vnoted that in view of the fact that clamp 59 is fixed adjustably to leg 53a, it is possible to adjust the circumferential position of cutting wheel 61 relative to disc 46 and hence relative to the circumferential position of the needle. In this manner, it is possible to vary the length ofthe strands of hair which are cut by cutting wheel 6I.

Also, it is possible to adjust the mounting of hub 51 of `disc 46 upon the output shaft of the worm-drive which is provided in casing 49, so as to vary the length of the strands which are draw-n prior to the cutting operation.

Asa result of the adjustability of cutting-wheel 61 and of disc 46, it' is possible to vary within relatively wide limits, the length of the strands of hair which are produced inA the n'is'h'ed dolls head.

I claim:

l. A machine for sewing hair-like threads into the head of a doll comprising a support for the head of the doll, a' presser-foot to secure the head to said support, said support and foot' each having aligned needle slots, a reciprocableneedle movable through said aligned slots and the doll head, means to reciprocateV said needle, a reciprocable sleeve` inv which said needle reciprocates, means to reciprocate said needle and sleeve independently of each other, guide means on said sleeve and movable therewith along and relative to said needle, an oscillatable bracket cooperable with said needle and sleeve to oscillate the same between irst and second positions, a rotatingdisc havingy a plurality of circumferentially disposed slots for mating alignment with said reciprocable needle to receive the same when the latter is in its first position, each of said slots having a notch directed at an acute angle to the radius of said disc to receive the hair-like threads and a circular rotatable frusto-conical cutting wheel positioned at. a radius relative to said disc intermediate the ends of each of said notches, said wheel having a planar bottomi in engagement with said disc: for

9 rotation thereby to cut the hair-like threads that are received in the notches.

2. In a machine for sewing hair-like threads into the head of a doll, a reciprocable needle, a rotatable disc having a plurality of circumferentially disposed slots defined therein for reception of said needle, each of said slots terminating in a notch directed at an angle to the radius of said disc, thread guide means to guide the hairlike threads to said slots and notches, the threads moving into said notches as said disc rotates, and a circular cutting wheel rotatable about an axis positioned intermediate the ends of said notches, said wheel having a bottom surface in engagement with said rotatable disc whereby rotation of said disc will cause said wheel to rotate and the threads passing. through said rotating notches will be cut thereby. t

3. In a machine as in claim 2, means to adjust the axis of said rotatable wheel relative to said disc to cut said threads to desired pre-determined lengths.

4. In a machine for sewing hair-like threads into the head of a doll, a reciprocating needle, rotatable means having openings therein cooperable with said needle to accept the same and said hair-like threads to form loops from said threads, notches defined in said rotatable means as part of said openings at an acute angle to the radius of said rotatable means, circular cutting means rotatable about an axis adjustable relative to said openings and means to adjust the axis of said cutting means, said cutting means constantly engaging said rotatable disc for cutting rotation thereby to sever the threads of the loop formed by the cooperation of said needle and openings.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,224,866 Gladish Dec. 17, 1940 2,686,305 Hall Aug. 10, 1954 2,698,019 Stozky Dec. 28, 1954 

